YuGiOh! Extra: Duelist
by Rebster6
Summary: In this story, we finish up that which really should've been done in the first place. Enjoy.
1. Chapter 1

"You're early, Jonouchi," Yugi called, smiling at the sight of his best friend.

"Heh," Jonouchi laughed, "I was working on my Deck 'til morning."

"Same with me."

It was the morning after the end of the Battle City finals. The city had barely begun to stir, which for now meant that Yugi and Jonouchi were totally alone in their street. This suited the pair of them just fine – with the amount of publicity Yugi would be attracting over the coming weeks, this was the best time for them to stage one final duel without any distractions.

Behind Jonouchi, the sun rose ever higher, bathing the deserted road in light. It would be a while yet before all the Battle City roadblocks limiting traffic were removed, which for now meant they had the street to themselves. The windows reflected the sunlight down at them, lighting up the enclosed area. The early morning air had a distinct chill to it, but neither duelist could feel it, so fired were they at the prospect of what was to come.

The two held up their Decks as they proclaimed how they'd been working on them. It was nearly time.

"Let's go Yugi," Jonouchi said, raising his duel disk, which folded out and readied itself. "Our Battle City isn't over yet!"

"Yeah!" Yugi agreed, mimicking his movement.

Both duelists inserted their Decks, and at once, their duel disks flickered to life, displaying their Life Point scores. They each drew five cards, then locked eyes, preparing to begin as a sudden gust of wind blew through the street, stirring up the dust.

The time had come at last.

"DUEL!"

 **Yugi LP:** 4000

 **Jonouchi LP:** 4000

"Here I go, Jonouchi!" Yugi declared. "My turn, draw! I Normal Summon Feral Imp in Defence Position!" A flash of light conjured the small green gremlin to his field.

Feral Imp: Fiend-Type/DARK/Level 4/ATK 1300/DEF 1400

"Then I place two cards face-down. Turn end."

"Alright!" Jonouchi cheered as Yugi's set cards appeared. "Then it's my turn, draw! I Normal Summon Axe Raider! Attack Position!" Another flash of light, then the yellow armoured warrior appeared on Jonouchi's side.

Axe Raider: Warrior-Type/EARTH/Level 4/ATK 1700/DEF 1150

"Battle! Axe Raider, attack Feral Imp! Air Slice!" With a cry, the warrior charged across to Yugi's side and lashed out with its battle axe, cleaving Feral Imp in two. The gremlin gave a strangled shout of pain, before bursting into a shower of light particles.

"Hm." Yugi smiled with amusement. "That's the way, Jonouchi."

"You know it," the boy grinned. "How about you cut the early game antics and throw something strong my way next, eh?"

"Don't get overconfident," Yugi warned. "If you ask your opponent to up their game, they might just oblige. My turn, draw! I Summon my Mystical Elf! Defence Position!" The mystic monster appeared, kneeling before the duelist that had Summoned her and muttering a musical yet indistinct prayer.

Mystical Elf: Spellcaster-Type/LIGHT/Level 4/ATK 800/DEF 2000

"Turn end," Yugi finished.

"Seriously? That's it?"

"That's it. You overcame my first wall, Jonouchi. Let's see you scale this one."

"Gladly! My turn, draw!" Jonouchi, clearly unfazed, drew his next card with gusto.

Unfortunately, his hand wasn't nearly as responsive to his enthusiasm. _This is awful,_ he thought. _The only card I have that can take out Mystical Elf is Goblin Attack Force, but I wanted to save him to respond to one of Yugi's bigger monsters… aw well, can't be helped._

"What's wrong, Jonouchi?" Yugi asked. "Struggling already?"

"You're one to talk, with all those wall monsters!" Jonouchi retorted. "Goblin Attack Force! Attack Position!" A cluster of angry goblins materialised beside his Axe Raider, each shouting and jostling to be at the front.

Goblin Attack Force: Warrior-Type/EARTH/Level 4/ATK 2300/DEF 0

"Battle! Goblin Attack Force, attack Mystical Elf!" As one, the ragtag group charged at the priestess.

Yugi grinned. "Too bad. Trap Card, open! Spellbinding Circle!" One of his face-down cards activated. "This card ensnares your goblins, preventing them from attacking and lowering their attack points by 700!" A burst of light emanated from the card, temporarily blinding the attackers and forcing them to halt. Seconds later, a magical circle appeared around the goblins, binding them together.

Goblin Attack Force: ATK 2300 → 1600

"Damnit!" Jonouchi cursed. "So close. I end my turn."

"My turn, draw!" Yugi added the card to his hand without looking at it, his stern eyes fixed on his friend with a trace of amusement. "Jonouchi, you destroyed my first wall-monster, but couldn't get over my second. And now that I have a measure of your current hand strength, it's time for me to get serious."

"Serious?"

"I Tribute my Mystical Elf, to Tribute Summon Archfiend of Gilfer! Attack Position!" The still singing woman disappeared in a swirl of light. In her place, a blue-skinned demon with red wings took to the field in a shower of embers. Its wicked eyes fixed on Jonouchi.

Archfiend of Gilfer: Fiend-Type/DARK/Level 6/ATK 2200/DEF 2500

"Gilfer?!" Jonouchi took a step back, suddenly unnerved. "Not him again."

"Battle! Gilfer, attack his Axe Raider! Gilfer Flame!" The Archfiend launched itself into the sky, coming to rest on top of one of the large commercial signs that read POKOTANU. There, it held its hands out and released a deluge of orange flames that bypassed the trapped goblins and consumed Axe Raider, destroying it in an instant. Jonouchi covered his face and recoiled from the heat of the blaze.

 **Jonouchi LP:** 4000 → 3500

"First blood to me, Jonouchi!" Yugi called. "You'll have to fight harder than that."

Jonouchi frowned. "I intend to! My turn, draw!" However, his expression was somewhat elated by his next draw. "Alright! Two can play at your game Yugi!"

"What?"

"I Tribute Goblin Attack Force to Tribute Summon Divine Knight Ishzark! Attack Position!" The ensnared goblin mob dissipated, quickly being replaced by a saintly-looking knight in radiant white armour, an oversized sword resting on its shoulder.

Divine Knight Ishzark: Warrior-Type/LIGHT/Level 6/ATK 2300/DEF 1800

"Ishzark..." Yugi muttered. "That's a new one."

"Battle!" Jonouchi cried. "Ishzark, attack his Gilfer! Break Down Distortion!" The knight charged forward and slashed diagonally at the demon, destroying it on the spot.

 **Yugi LP:** 4000 → 3900

"Yeah!" Jonouchi roared in triumph. "How's that for fighting harder?"

His jubilations were short-lived, however. Rather than fading from the field, the fragments of the defeated Archfiend swirled behind Jonouchi's monster and reformed into Gilfer. Before Ishzark could so much as glance backwards, Gilfer wrapped its powerful arms around the knight, immobilising it.

"W- what the-?" Jonouchi gasped.

"Archfiend of Gilfer has an effect," Yugi explained calmly. "After being sent to the Graveyard, it equips itself to your monster as an Equip Card. An Equip Card with an effect that lowers the strength of any monster in its clutches by 500 points."

Divine Knight Ishzark: ATK 2300 → 1800

"Man..." Jonouchi shook his head. "How is it I've fought that thing twice and never come across that effect?"

"Would it be cruel to say 'because you've never beaten it'?"

"Shut it!" Jonouchi shouted indignantly. "I destroyed it that time, didn't I?"

"Indeed you did, Jonouchi," Yugi nodded, his eyes narrowing. "And now you'll pay the price for doing so."

 _Man, Yugi's scary when he gets serious,_ Jonouchi mused. _Wonder why… I suppose it must be the other Yugi's influence bleeding through from our duel. Or it means I'm making him sweat! Either way, I can't let up the pressure._ Contemplation over, he took two cards from his hand and slotted them into his duel disk. "I place two cards face-down. Turn end."

"My turn, draw! Monster Reborn, activate!"

Jonouchi's eyes widened at the sight of the Spell. "What?! Right now?"

"With this card, I can revive any monster from the Graveyard. Return to us, Mystical Elf!" At its master's command, the priestess burst forth from the glowing Spell Card and knelt on Yugi's field once more.

Mystical Elf: Spellcaster-Type/LIGHT/Level 4/ATK 800/DEF 2000

"Jonouchi, by defeating Gilfer, you took down a revered knight of the Archfiends. Now though, I'm afraid you'll have to deal with their king instead! I Tribute Mystical Elf to call forth the almighty Summed Skull!" Once more the elf vanished, sacrificing its life energy to call forth one of Yugi's oldest and most faithful creatures in a cloud of smoke. Lightning lashed through the otherwise clear sky. Booms of thunder shook the ground beneath the duelists' feet before, finally, the smoke parted, revealing the demonic skeleton creature lurking within. It let off a strangled, rasping cry and raised its arms above its head, summoning yet more lightning bolts to herald its arrival.

Summoned Skull: Fiend-Type/DARK/Level 6/ATK 2500/DEF 1200

"W- what?!" Jonouchi gasped. "Summoned Skull?!"

"Battle! Summoned Skull, attack Divine Knight Ishzark! Demon Lightning!" The fiendish skeleton spread its arms out wide, drawing wave after wave of electrical energy to its body.

Jonouchi gritted his teeth. "Can't be helped... that thing has to go down. I'll have to use my trump card now! Quick-Play Spell, open! Extra Boost!" His face-down flipped up. "With this, one monster on my side gains ATK equal to half its DEF! Ishzark's DEF is 1800, so it gains 900 ATK!"

Divine Knight Ishzark: ATK 1800 → 2700

"Ishzark, counterattack! Break Down Distortion!" Dragging Gilfer along with it, the radiant knight charged forward towards the enemy fiend and, before it could launch its lightning attack, lashed out with its giant sword. The holy blade severed Summoned Skull's spine, and the demon gave an unearthly howl of pain before exploding.

 **Yugi LP:** 3900 → 3700

"Gotcha!" Jonouchi cheered. "Summoned Skull is beaten!"

Yugi smiled. "Well played, Jonouchi. I guess I didn't see that coming."

Jonouchi faltered in his jubilations. _Hang on, what?_ he thought.

"That was a well-executed trap. Of course, Extra Boost's side effect will mean saying goodbye to your Ishzark. But you probably already knew that, didn't you?"

 _What the… he isn't bothered that I took down one of his best monsters. He doesn't even look surprised._

"I end my turn," Yugi continued. "And during the End Phase, Extra Boost's effect sends the affected monster to the Graveyard. Unfortunately, that means Gilfer goes with it." The duelists watched as Jonouchi's radiant knight – along with the demon still clinging to its shoulders – faded away into nothingness. "With no other monsters in play, Gilfer can't equip to anything else, so it'll remain in the Graveyard. Your move, Jonouchi."

"My turn, draw!" Jonouchi couldn't take his eyes off of Yugi. His mind was working furiously, trying to decipher the puzzle before him.

 _I don't get it…_ he thought. _Yugi just lost one of his aces, and his field's now wide open. But he's not even fazed. Maybe he knows he can rely on his last face-down card to protect him. But that card's been on the field since turn one. If it's a defensive card, why didn't he use it to protect his Summoned Skull, or any of the other monsters I've killed up to this point? It doesn't make sense. Unless…_

Then he had it.

 _It's a bluff! Of course it is! How could I have been so stupid? Yugi's, like, the best duelist I know, and not just with the gaming bit. He totally understands the psychology of a duelist. He can make his opponent believe whatever he wants about the duel. Mai, Pegasus, Kaiba, Marik… no-one's equal to Yugi's mind games._ A wide grin split Jonouchi's face. _He's acting all calm and putting on a smile to make me think he's totally protected by that face-down, when in fact that card is useless. Yugi, you dirty trickster you…_

"You can't fool me, Yugi!" Jonouchi called. "I know you're bluffing!"

"Oh? Do you now?" Yugi replied, raising an eyebrow.

"I've seen too many of your mind games to fall for them myself," Jonouchi grinned. "I Summon Alligator's Sword!" The lizard-like warrior appeared on Jonouchi's field in a flash of light.

Alligator's Sword: Beast-Type/EARTH/Level 4/ATK 1500/DEF 1200

"Battle! Go, Alligator's Sword, shave off a big chunk of Yugi's Life Points with a direct attack! Sword of the Dragon!" The beast charged forward and took a big swing, the air whistling past its vicious polished sabre as it lashed out. Yugi gasped in pain and staggered back, winded by the force of the Solid Vision attack.

 **Yugi LP:** 3700 → 2200

"Haha!" Jonouchi laughed triumphantly. "King of Games? More like King of Lame!"

Yugi glanced up at him, his eyes aflame.

"You've mind gamed your way through pretty much every duel you've ever been in," Jonouchi went on. "I've seen all of your tricks, from the Monster Recovery thing against Mai to the Mind Shuffle against Pegasus, plus everything in between and since. Do you really think that you... you..."

Jonouchi's voice trailed away.

Across from him, wave after wave of shadows were pouring silently from beneath Yugi's set card like plumes of smoke. Thick, ominous, and tinged with a purple hue that put Jonouchi in mind of the Shadow Games, the darkness quickly spread across the entire field, obscuring the ground beneath his feet. Jonouchi took a tentative step back. A plume of fog-like darkness rose up from under his trainer.

"W- what's happening?"

"You're too naïve, Jonouchi," Yugi replied. He was smiling, but there was a fierceness in his eyes that hadn't been there a second ago. "Do you think I'd be foolish enough to try a bluff like that against you?"

"But you-" Jonouchi stuttered. "That card... you haven't used it all game. Why now?"

"Duelists don't just activate cards when they fancy it," Yugi explained. The shadows were growing ever thicker, even obscuring the surrounding buildings. "Beginners do that. Duelists are patient. They wait until exactly the right moment to activate a card; even if it means taking some damage in the meantime, they won't falter. Your monsters and set cards have been exhausted. So, for me, that moment is now." He raised his arm. "I activate the Trap-Spell Card, Stairway Descending into Hades!"

"Trap-Spell Card?!" Jonouchi repeated, as the card that was spewing darkness onto the field finally activated.

"This card is activated when I take damage from a direct attack," Yugi explained. "And when it does so, it allows me to call the twin emissaries of Hades onto the field. Accept the burden of your fallen demonic brethren and appear! Gorz the Emissary of Darkness! Kaien the Emissary of Darkness!"

Two columns of shadowy energy erupted upwards on Yugi's field, and Jonouchi covered his face as a sudden gale buffeted him. Parting like curtains, the pillars of darkness separated and opened, revealing two monsters standing proudly inside. One, male, was garbed in black armour and a red cape matching its spiked crimson hair. Large spikes protruded from its arms, and it leant confidently on a sword that was almost as large as it was. The other, female, wore equally dark armour with a red dress flaring out from underneath. A silvery helmet glinted in the sun, and she smiled wickedly from underneath it, all the while clasping a black-handled sabre.

Gorz the Emissary of Darkness: Fiend-Type/DARK/Level 7/ATK 2700/DEF 2500

Kaien the Emissary of Darkness: Fairy-Type/DARK/Level 7/ATK 2500/DEF 2700

"How... I just... what...?" Jonouchi could barely get the words out. Around him, the darkness was beginning to dissipate, bringing light back to the deserted street. What didn't vanish was the monsters' eminence. Both of them oozed a sense of pure menace. The way they looked at him reminded Jonouchi of the way Yugi would look at his opponents sometimes - a fierce determination tinged with a killer instinct. He'd first seen that look when Yugi dueled Kaiba at Duelist Kingdom, and plenty of times since. It really wasn't pleasant feeling the pressure of that look directed at him.

"Jonouchi..." Yugi said calmly. "I said I'd duel you, both to give you a chance to win back your Red-Eyes, and to give us both a chance to test our experience and development as duelists. I said that I'd duel you because I wanted to see how far you'd come on your own since Duelist Kingdom." His eyes narrowed. "At no point did I say I would go easy on you."

* * *

 **Author Note #1: Welcome to Yu-Gi-Oh! Extra Episode 1. In Extra, we basically mess around in the canon of different series', fleshing out encounters and duels that were alluded to in the main story, but were never given the full screen time they so fully deserved. Enjoy your stay.**

 **Author Note #2: So, rules. This takes place after Battle City but before the Doma Arc, so the Super Expert Rules apply. That means players can Normal Summon in face-up Defence Position, all Spell Cards are essentially Quick-Play Spell Cards, Graveyards aren't public knowledge, Fusion Monsters can't attack on their Summoning turn, the ante rule is a thing, and so on. We'll try to use a combination of character dialogue and these Author Notes to explain things where it could get confusing.**

 **Author Note #3: As for cards, this Extra episode will be doing things slightly differently to those in the future, including the others we have planned for the Duel Monsters era. Firstly, all cards will be given their anime/manga effects over their OCG/TCG effects, where possible (hence why Gilfer wasn't banished by Ishzark's effect – Ishzark doesn't have an effect in the manga). Future Extra episodes will continue using that era's ruleset, but with OCG/TCG card effects (aside from God Cards, The Seal of Orichalcos, Numbers, Rank-Up-Magics, and certain other special cards). Secondly, since Yugi and Jonouchi have such colossal card pools to pull from, you won't be seeing any cards that they (or at least an incarnation of them) didn't use. That also means no author-made cards for this episode. Also no God Cards (because dear lord anime Ra), no Dark Paladin or Poker Knights (Yugi left them behind on his desk when building this Deck), and no cards that they were confirmed not to receive post-Doma (so things like Rebellion and Release Restraint are fine because there's nothing to say they didn't already have them at the time, but things like Hermos and Evolution of God are off-limits).**

 **Author Note #4: And yes, ditching Fun Facts for the moment. They'll come back if ever we revisit Delta because tradition, but for now, let's actually make a modicum of sense, shall we?**

 **Author Note #5: Now then, to our readers, this is a callout for unfinished duels. Basically, think back through all five YGO series', and come up with as many duels as you can that were shown only partially or not at all. Ideally, ones you'd like to see more fleshed out like this one. The most popular ones we'll expand and give a proper duel. We have a few planned out, scripted and ready to go (Jack's training duels, the 2nd D1GP finals, the Barian's invasion duels, etc.), but we're very interested to hear which ones you'd particularly like to see.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Yugi LP:** 2200

Gorz the Emissary of Darkness: Fiend-Type/DARK/Level 7/ATK 2700/DEF 2500

Kaien the Emissary of Darkness: Fairy-Type/DARK/Level 7/ATK 2500/DEF 2700

 **Jonouchi LP:** 3500

Alligator's Sword: Beast-Type/EARTH/Level 4/ATK 1500/DEF 1200

Spell & Trap Card Zone: 1 set card

* * *

"My turn, draw," Yugi said calmly. "Battle. Kaien the Emissary of Darkness, attack Alligator's Sword!" At its master's behest, the fiendish warrior lady leapt high into the sky brandishing its sabre above its head.

"Trap Card, open!" Jonouchi cried desperately. "Kunai with Chain!"

His face-down activated, and from it, a length of chain with a boomerang-style blade attached fired upwards, wrapping three times around Kaien before tightening, trapping its arms by its side, the other end of the chain fixed itself onto the arm of Alligator's Sword who, with a sharp yank on the chain, brought the enemy monster plummeting back to earth.

"Interesting..." Yugi muttered.

"With this, your attacking monster is switched to Defence Position, so it can't attack me anymore," Jonouchi breathed, wiping sweat from his brow. "Also, a monster on my field gains 500 ATK!"

Alligator's Sword: ATK 1500 → 2000

"So you've blocked one attack, and softened the damage you'll receive from the second," Yugi observed. "All with one card. Impressive, Jonouchi... but ultimately pointless. Gorz the Emissary of Darkness, attack Alligator's Sword!" At once, the second fiend charged across the field and lashed out at the enemy reptile, destroying it on the spot.

 **Jonouchi LP:** 3500 → 2800

With the destruction of Alligator's Sword, the chain binding the two monsters together vanished, freeing Kaien. The demonic woman picked herself up, dusted off her dress, then took a kneeling position on Yugi's field.

"Turn end."

Jonouchi breathed a sigh of relief. _Man… I survived that somehow,_ he thought, reaching for his next card. _Yugi wasn't kidding; he's being totally ruthless. If I didn't have Kunai with Chain, that would've been a One Turn Kill. I need to up my game._

"My turn, draw!" Jonouchi declared. "I activate the Spell Card, Painful Decision! With it, I pick up the top two cards of my Deck, then you pick one at random. If it's a Monster Card, I can Special Summon it and add the other card to my hand. But if it's anything else, I lose both of them."

Yugi smirked. "So the luck-sacking begins now does it, Jonouchi?"

"Shut it!" Jonouchi snapped. With slightly shaking fingers, he drew his top two cards and glanced at them.

Flame Swordsman and Gilford the Lightning.

 _Nice!_ Jonouchi thought, before quickly rearranging his face into a more passive expression. _I got two monsters – and two good ones, too. So whatever Yugi picks, I win. I'd rather he pick Gilford so I can contend with his two Emissaries, but even if he chooses Flame Swordsman…_ He examined the other cards in his hand, his brain furiously linking strategies together. _Yeah… yeah, I can make this work._

Constantly aware of Yugi's eyes boring into him, Jonouchi shuffled the two cards together, then held them out, one in each hand. "Alright Yugi, floor's all yours. Choose away."

"I select the card in your left hand."

Jonouchi blinked. "Erm... are you sure?"

"Positive."

"Don't need another second to think about it?"

"Why would I?" Yugi asked, still smiling. "I won't improve my odds of guessing correctly by fussing for an hour like Chikuzen Ooka did before you tricked _him_ into changing his mind, now will I?"

Jonouchi sighed. "Nah, I guess not. Oh well, you still picked a Monster Card, which means I get to Summon it! C'mon out, Flame Swordsman!" In a whirl of flames, Jonouchi's ace monster rose up onto the field, shouldering its bright orange blade.

Flame Swordsman: Warrior-Type/FIRE/Level 5/ATK 1800/DEF 1600

Yugi watched as Jonouchi transferred the remaining card into his hand, grinning knowingly. "You seem less than cheerful for getting a good monster on the field."

"Hmph," Jonouchi grunted.

"Jonouchi, do you remember the access cards we needed to compete in Duelist Kingdom?"

"Eh? Access cards? What's that got to do with-"

"You know, the one that you lost minutes before your duel with Keith, so Mai gave you hers?"

Jonouchi frowned. "You mean... Glory of the King's Hand?"

"More to the point, the king's _right_ hand," Yugi corrected him. "With that card, you trounced Keith, gave me one of the most meaningful duels of my life, and brought your sister back from the brink of blindness. Jonouchi, you hold glory in your right hand. Of course I would select your left hand."

"Clever clogs," Jonouchi grinned. "In any case, don't you go underestimating my left hand now, Yugi."

"Hmm?"

"I activate the Equip Spell Card, Salamandra! Equip to Flame Swordsman!" As he inserted the card into his Duel Disk, a serpentine fire dragon spiralled its way up the warrior's sword with a whooshing sound. "With this, Flame Swordsman's ATK goes up by 700 points!"

Flame Swordsman: ATK 1800 → 2500

"Then, I Normal Summon Rocket Warrior!" A small, figurine-like warrior shaped like a rocked emerged next to the aflame swordsman.

Rocket Warrior: Warrior-Type/LIGHT/Level 4/ATK 1500/DEF 1300

"Battle! Rocket Warrior, activate invincible mode and attack Gorz!" The tiny monster folded away into a pure rocket form, which launched itself across the field and straight through the centre of Gorz's stomach, leaving a gaping hole. The fiendish knight howled in pain and doubled over, the same shadowy energy that had heralded its arrival seeping from the wound like smoke. "While attacking in this mode, Rocket Warrior can't be destroyed by battle and I take no damage. However, the ATK of a monster I attack with it goes down by 500!"

Gorz the Emissary of Darkness: ATK 2700 → 2200

"Flame Swordsman, finish it off! Fighting Spirit Flame Blade!" With one mighty swing, the swordsman cleaved Gorz in two. The injured demon cried out once more as Salamandra's flames engulfed it, before it was burnt to a crisp.

 **Yugi LP:** 2200 → 1900

"Turn end," Jonouchi finished, grinning as his Flame Swordsman settled back on his field. "How's that, Yugi?"

"Not bad at all, Jonouchi," Yugi smiled back. "However, don't think you've caught up to me yet. My turn, draw! Graceful Charity, activate!"

"Graceful Charity?!" Jonouchi repeated as the Spell appeared.

"With this, I can draw three cards, as long as I then send two cards from my hand to the Graveyard." Yugi drew his three cards, and scanned through the cards in his hand carefully before selecting two and holding them out. "The cards I choose to discard... are these! Magical Hats and Red-Eyes Black Dragon!"

Jonouchi gasped. "Red-Eyes... that's..."

"Correct, Jonouchi," Yugi said. He didn't discard the cards yet, but rather kept them up, allowing his friend to drink in the sight of his most precious card. "This is the true reason we're having this duel. You want more than anything to win your Red-Eyes back in a fierce, all-or-nothing duel."

"Yeah..." Jonouchi nodded, his hands shaking. "But..."

"But that's not all, is it?" Yugi interrupted. "You don't feel completely ready to take Red-Eyes back yet. You don't feel strong enough. You feel like your loss to that Rare Hunter – and then Marik – tarnished your dueling spirit, so you don't feel worthy of a card like this. Am I right, Jonouchi?"

"I... I just..." Jonouchi stammered. "Y- yeah, I guess. But it's more than that."

"Oh?"

"When I lost to that Rare Hunter, I lost my best card. That's fine. I could duel without it. But when I lost to Marik... I dunno, I felt my duelist's pride drain away. In that one instant, all the growth and improvements I made during Battle City just felt meaningless. _That's_ the reason for this duel, Yugi. By dueling you – the duelist who wiped out both of the duelists who beat me – I feel like I can restore confidence in myself, and acknowledge my growth once again."

Yugi smiled. "I see. In that case, I'll just place this here..." At last, he placed both Magical Hats and Red-Eyes into his Graveyard, his eyes never leaving his friend's face. "From the Graveyard, Red-Eyes will be able to see how much you've grown as a duelist and as a person. And once you've accepted your own growth... well, Red-Eyes will be right here, waiting for you to take it back."

"Alright," Jonouchi nodded, clenching his fist. "In that case, I have a lot of self-proving to do. I'll give it my all, Yugi!"

"Likewise, Jonouchi!" Yugi replied, feeling the familiar surge of anticipation he always got before a big, game-changing move. Placing his fingers around his next card, however, he suddenly found himself distracted by a voice in the back of his head.

 _Other me? Hey, other me?_

 _Partner,_ he thought, acknowledging the voice of his closest comrade. _What's wrong?_

 _Don't you think that card will be pushing Jonouchi a little too hard?_ Yugi said, referring to the card the Pharaoh was about to play. _I mean, he'll never beat us if we keep going all out like this._

 _So you want me to_ intentionally _lose to Jonouchi?_

 _I didn't say that… I just…_

 _Yugi…_ Yami sighed inwardly. _A false battle like that would serve no purpose, and would insult Jonouchi beyond belief. He'd never forgive us. We'd be sullying the best duel of both of our lives just to satisfy our own feelings._

 _I know, but-_

 _And do you think Jonouchi wants that? You heard him: he wants nothing more than to prove himself in a full-on duel against us. Right now, our friend Jonouchi is a very different person from the duelist Jonouchi, and it's the latter that's standing in front of us now. How do you think he'd react if he found out we were holding back against him? He'd think we were taking pity on him. He'd think – rightly so – that we didn't think he was up to the challenge._

… _I'm sorry, other me._

 _Don't be. Truth be told, I want Jonouchi to win this duel as well._

 _Really?_ Yugi sounded genuinely surprised at this. _That's not like you at all._

 _Strange, isn't it?_ Yami agreed. _I would be happy for Jonouchi to defeat us and claim his Red-Eyes back. It seems right, somehow, that Red-Eyes be reunited with its rightful owner. But at the same time, my pride as a duelist is screaming at me to fight my absolute hardest, to push myself to the full extent of my skill to defeat Jonouchi. A duel like that, where I'm fighting at the top of my game along with Jonouchi… then and only then will a victory have meaning. For either of us._

 _I understand,_ Yugi replied. _Let's do it then! Let's show Jonouchi what we're made of!_

"Here I come, Jonouchi!" The pair of them called out loud. "First, I switch Kaien the Emissary of Darkness from Defence Position back to Attack Position. Then, from my hand, I activate the Ritual Spell Card, Black Magic Ritual!"

Jonouchi's eyes widened. "What?! That's-"

"With this, by sacrificing eight stars worth of monsters, I can Ritual Summon the ultimate Spellcaster from my hand. I sacrifice the Level eight Mirage Knight!"

A black podium rose up in the centre of Yugi's field, with a pair of golden, ornate torches either side – Kaien, now upright once more, stepped calmly aside to make room. An image of Mirage Knight briefly appeared on the pedestal, before bursting into eight small orbs of light which scattered and disappeared into the golden torches, four each. A violet flame burst to life in each one as, at the same time, a magical circle of the same colour etched itself onto the surface of the podium. Jonouchi shivered as he felt the thrum of ceremonious power. For a second, nothing happened. Then, all of a sudden, a pillar of bright purple fire erupted upwards from the ground, consuming the podium and the torches.

"Ritual Summon! Appear, Magician of Black Chaos!"

And from the flames, a figure emerged, and an all-too-familiar figure to Jonouchi. It was garbed in slim, black clothes with red straps, plus a large black and red hat with wild black hair flowing from beneath it. In its right hand was clasped a long sceptre, which Jonouchi knew was capable of delivering utterly vicious magical attacks. Its skin was pale blue, and its eyes – dark red and tinted with yellow – were fixed on Jonouchi.

Magician of Black Chaos: Spellcaster-Type/Ritual/DARK/Level 8/ATK 2800/DEF 2600

"Jonouchi," Yugi said calmly as Jonouchi gawked in horror. "Your Flame Swordsman is a mediocre warrior at best, even powered up with Salamandra. Magician of Black Chaos, on the other hand, is the ultimate magician – a wizard of supreme power that mere warriors hold no hope of defeating."

"Heh," Jonouchi grinned, trying to disguise his trepidation. "This is nothing. I can take it!"

"Take it, then!" Yugi retorted. "Battle! Magician of Black Chaos, attack Flame Swordsman! Spell of Destruction: Death Ultima!" The Spellcaster lifted its staff above its head, then brought it crashing down to the ground. A blast of dark blue energy surged along the ground from where it had struck, consuming Flame Swordsman completely. The resulting explosion caused Jonouchi to stagger back, covering his face.

 **Jonouchi LP:** 2800 → 2500

"Kaien, attack Rocket Warrior!" Before Jonouchi could compose himself, Kaien was right in front of him. With a vicious slash, she simultaneously sliced Rocket Warrior in two and struck Jonouchi once more, knocking him to the ground.

 **Jonouchi LP:** 2500 → 1500

"What's wrong, Jonouchi?" Yugi called. "Had enough full power dueling already?"

"Argh... this... is nothing..." Jonouchi groaned, pushing himself back onto his feet.

Yugi nodded, impressed as always by his friend's tenacity. "Turn end."

"My turn... draw!" Jonouchi barely spared his card a glance before deciding to play it. "I activate Card of Fate! Now I roll a die, and whatever number comes up, I can draw that many cards." The Spell materialised on his field, and from it, a large white die appeared, spinning across the field. It bounced off of the wall of a nearby shop and nearly knocked down a sign before coming to a stop roughly in the centre of the field, the number five displayed face-up.

"A good roll, Jonouchi," Yugi grinned.

"Yeah," Jonouchi nodded, drawing his five cards, then picking up an additional five cards from the top of his Deck. "However, after drawing, I also have to banish cards from the top of my Deck equal to the roll. Those cards are Giant Trunade, Panther Warrior, Baby Dragon, Shield & Sword and Fairy Box." He moved his lost cards into his back pocket before examining his new, sizable hand.

 _Alright…_ he thought slowly. _None of my monsters can beat Magician of Black Chaos in terms of ATK. It just ain't happening. My best bet is getting Gilford the Lightning out, but even he only ties with Black Chaos. Really, I need to get three Tributes so I can set off its effect. Can I do that?_ As he checked through his other cards, a wide grin slowly split his face. _Damn right I can! Who's the man?_

"Ready for this, Yugi?" Jonouchi called. "I'm more than a match for your so-called 'ultimate' Spellcaster there. I'm gonna clear your field and beat you on this turn!"

Yugi raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?"

"I activate the Spell Card, Gather! Landstar Squadron!" Wasting no more time, Jonouchi slapped the Spell onto his Duel Disk. "With this, I can Summon any number of Landstar monsters from my hand. C'mon out! Grappler of Landstar! Skyblaster of Landstar!" The two miniature monsters emerged on Jonouchi's field, one shouldering a toy rifle, the other cracking its knuckles in what it clearly thought was a threatening manner.

Grappler of Landstar: Warrior-Type/EARTH/Level 3/ATK 1000/DEF 500

Skyblaster of Landstar: Warrior-Type/EARTH/Level 3/ATK 900/DEF 1200

"Then I activate another Spell: Monster Reborn! With it, I revive Gorz the Emissary of Darkness under my control!" In a plume of smoke, the demonic warrior rose up between the two fairy warriors, who each gave it a wide berth. Both Gorz and Kaien looked equally surprised to be facing each other on opposite sides of the battlefield.

Gorz the Emissary of Darkness: Fiend-Type/DARK/Level 7/ATK 2700/DEF 2500

Indeed, Yugi seemed just as bewildered as them. "Jonouchi... what're you doing? You just used up Monster Reborn, the only method you have of getting your Red-Eyes back, and you instead revived Gorz? Why?"

"That's easy," Jonouchi replied, grinning. "I just brought it back as a sacrifice – for that, anything will do. Besides, I'll be getting my Red-Eyes back in no time if this move goes off! I can wait a little longer."

"A sacrifice?" Yugi repeated. Then, "No, it can't be-"

"You betcha!" Jonouchi cried. "I sacrifice these three to Summon my best monster! The one, the only, Gilford the Lightning!"

Grappler, Skyblaster and Gorz all vanished. At once, a series of booms echoed from the sky just as they had done with Summoned Skull, heralding the arrival of a new warrior that emerged onto Jonouchi's field. Bulging with muscles and adorned with lightning-stylised plates of armour, Gilford was the picture of fierceness. As if to complete the image, it then spread its arms wide and howled to the heavens, the cracks of thunder punctuating his battle cry. A gust of wind tugged at the red cloak it wore around its neck, and the flashes of lightning illuminated the long silver blade strapped to its back.

Gilford the Lightning: Warrior-Type/LIGHT/Level 8/ATK 2800/DEF 1400

"Gilford's effect activates!" Jonouchi declared. "When this card is Summoned with three Tributes, all my opponent's monsters are destroyed!" The warrior drew its sword and lifted it skyward. One last bolt of lightning – brighter and more powerful than any of the previous ones – lashed down and struck the blade. With a roar, Gilford brought the sword down in a slashing motion, sending an arc of electrical energy at Yugi's monsters. Both Kaien and Black Chaos were struck by the full force of the attack, and were immediately lost in an almighty explosion.

"Black Chaos!" Yugi cried, shielding his face. "Kaien! No!"

"With that, your field is empty!" Jonouchi called. "No monsters, no face-downs, nowhere left to run! I win, Yugi!"

Yugi's fist clenched. His eyes darted to the last card in his hand.

"Gilford the Lightning... direct attack! Lightning Blade!"

* * *

 **Author Note #6: Next chapter will consist of one line of attack descriptors, Yugi's LP count hitting 0, and nothing more. Would we lie to you?**

 **Author Note #7: Not long ago, we posted a bunch of Flame Swordsman-related cards to the YCM Wiki. One of them – a Hermos Fusion for Flame Swordsman – is called Fighting Spirit Flame Blade, named after Flame Swordsman's Japanese attack name. You can call it Flaming Sword of Battle if you like. We don't mind.**

 **Author Note #8: Yes, we're calling it Skyblaster of Landstar, because it's in that archetype. No brigadier. Never brigadier.** **Same sort of thing with Card of Fate** **–** **the Treasure Cards cards have almost always been released as just Card(s), so we're ignoring the dub's Roll of Fate naming.**

 **Author Note #9: Now, Painful Decision. This card was called Decision of Distress originally, and Arduous Decision in the dub. We're not using either of those names due to the release of a mostly unrelated Spell Card called Painful Decision in the OCG/TCG. That card has the exact same Japanese name as Decision of Distress, so since it was translated to Painful Decision in the TCG, we now have a confirmed translation for that Japanese string. Hence, Painful Decision.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Yugi LP:** 1900

 **Jonouchi LP:** 1500

Gilford the Lightning: Warrior-Type/LIGHT/Level 8/ATK 2800/DEF 1400

* * *

"Gilford the Lightning... direct attack! Lightning Blade!"

Its blade skill crackling with electricity, the warrior charged forward and aimed an almighty slash at Yugi who, with just seconds to spare, snatched at the only card in his hand and held it out before him like a shield.

At once, a multitude of brown, fluffy creatures materialised before him, multiplying and spreading out like a wall to cover his field. With a furious cry, Gilford hacked at them, detonating a huge portion of the wall. Seconds later, however, the endlessly multiplying hairballs had filled in the gap, protecting Yugi from harm. In fact, the mass of monsters was becoming so great that they were pushing Gilford back.

"You're kidding me!" Jonouchi cried.

"That was a close one, Jonouchi. If I hadn't had this card, I would've lost to that attack." As Gilford staggered back to Jonouchi's field, the wall of monsters faded away, revealing Yugi's grinning face along with the card he had used, still held in front of him.

Kuriboh.

"Seriously? You brought _Kuriboh_ to our fight?" Jonouchi said indignantly. "Are you trying to insult me Yugi?"

"Are you calling Kuriboh weak?" Yugi asked raising an eyebrow. "Jonouchi, this Deck is a combination of my Grandpa's and my own cards - cards that won their way through Duelist Kingdom and Battle City. Do you really think them weak?"

"Hmph, fair point-"

"I'd even go so far as to say that my Grandpa's Deck has no pathetic cards, Jonouchi! Not even K-"

"Yeah yeah, I get it already! I place one card face-down. Turn end."

Still smiling, Yugi transferred Kuriboh to his Graveyard. "Then it's my turn, I draw! And I activate the Spell Card, Card of Sanctity! With it, both of us draw until we have six cards in our hand."

"And you were grilling me about luck-sacking," Jonouchi grinned, drawing five new cards.

Yugi, who had drawn six of his own, took only a second to glance at his hand before picking one to play. "I Normal Summon Obnoxious Celtic Guard! Attack Position!" With a gust to wind, the sword-wielding elf took to the field.

Obnoxious Celtic Guard: Warrior-Type/EARTH/Level 4/ATK 1400/DEF 1200

"Heh," Jonouchi laughed, still feeling confident. "That puny warrior doesn't hold a candle to Gilford!"

As he selected another card from his hand, Yugi looked up at Jonouchi, his eyes ablaze. Jonouchi recoiled at the look. All of Yugi's amusement had dried up in an instant, and now he looked set to kill.

"Jonouchi... I win."

"Wha-"

"I activate the Spell Card, Rebellion!" The Spell appeared before him. "With this, I select one monster on your side of the field and force it to attack you directly! Gilford, turn on your master!"

"You're kidding!" Jonouchi cried, recoiling as Gilford turned to face him, his eyes glowing red, and his hand flexing around the handle of its sword.

"I'm sorry Jonouchi," Yugi said quietly. "It seems getting your Red-Eyes back will have to wait until you've become stronger. Gilford the Lightning... Lightning Blade!"

In an instant, Gilford drew its sword and slashed in Jonouchi's direction, sending an arc of electrical energy at him. The blonde duelist screamed as the attack struck him, and was then lost in an explosion that consumed his entire field, including Gilford.

 _Jonouchi!_ Yami heard Yugi cry.

 _I'm sorry, partner,_ he replied solemnly. _I guess Jonouchi wasn't ready to claim back his duelist's pride after all. We'll have to wait until he grows some more before he can face us again._

 _Did you have to beat him with his own monster though?_

 _In a duel, an attack can come at any time, and from any direction. Jonouchi knows and understands this, as any duelist must if they expect to win. However, just knowing isn't enough. You must be ready to counter an attack like that at any time. I saw an opening in Jonouchi's field, I took advantage of it, and he wasn't ready to counter it. That's all there is to it._

Yugi had no response to that. Together, the two of them waited for the smoke to clear and reveal their anguished, defeated friend, perhaps slumped on the ground after the force of that last attack. They watched the Life Point counter too, waiting for it to change.

And change it did. But not in the way they were expecting.

 **Jonouchi LP:** 1500 → 5500 → 2700

"What the-"

"Well, it's only fair, isn't it?!"

Finally, the curtain of smoke drifted away, revealing the grinning face of Jonouchi – who was still very much on his feet – the un-brainwashed form of Gilford, and a face-up Trap Card that had been face-down mere moments earlier.

"You got to block a game-ending attack from Gilford, so it's only fair I should too," he said, jerking a thumb towards his Trap Card. "You see, when you forced Gilford to attack me, I was able to activate Nutrient Z. It restores my Life Points by 4000 when I'm about to take a hit of 2000 or more. I'll tell you what though, Yugi, that was one heck of a close one, wasn't it?"

"It sure was, Jonouchi," Yugi replied, grinning once more. "And here I was, counting you out. I'm very glad you were able to block that attack."

"Glad?"

"Yeah. It would be such a shame to end a duel like this with such a move. I want to beat you with my best, not _your_ best."

"C'mon then," Jonouchi retorted, making an exaggerated beckoning motion with both his hands. "Let's have your best then!"

Yugi nodded, placing another card from his hand onto his Duel Disk. "As you wish Jonouchi. I activate the Spell Card, Dark Magic Curtain! Now, by paying halve my Life Points, a Spellcaster-Type monster can be brought out of my Deck and directly onto the field!" A large, regal-looking skeleton garbed in a huge crimson robe appeared behind Yugi.

 **Yugi LP:** 1900 → 950

"Appear, Dark Magician!" The robe fluttered, before being thrust aside like a curtain as Yugi's iconic magician soared out of it, twirling its staff around as it settled on Yugi's field next to Celtic Guard.

Dark Magician: Spellcaster-Type/DARK/Level 7/ATK 2500/DEF 2100

"Dark Magician..." Jonouchi breathed, letting his arms fall to his sides. "So you already called it out, Yugi. Your ace monster."

"Would you like to, as well?"

"Eh?"

As the purple-garbed Spellcaster took up position on Yugi's field, the robed skeleton morphed into a globule of purple light, which shot across the field and reformed directly behing Jonouchi.

"Hey! What's going on here?!"

"Relax," Yugi said. "It's nothing to panic about. This is Dark Magic Curtain's downside – its effect is open for both player's to use. If you'd rather keep those Life Points that you just restored, that's fine. However, if there's a Spellcaster-Type monster in your Deck that you'd like immediate access to, at the cost of half of your Life Points, Dark Magic Curtain will call it straight out of your Deck for you. The choice is yours, Jonouchi."

Jonouchi frowned, thinking hard. _Spellcaster… Spellcaster… well, Time Wizard's actually the only Spellcaster I've got. That'd be a good card to get out now: I could force Yugi's ace to square off against mine. At worst, I can defend with it. At best, I might be able to Time Roulette some of Yugi's monsters to death!_

"You're on, Yugi!" he called. "I'm taking that effect!"

 **Jonouchi LP:** 2700 → 1350

"C'mon out, Time Wizard!" Once again, the red curtain was thrust aside as the tiny clock magician emerged.

Time Wizard: Spellcaster-Type/LIGHT/Level 2/ATK 500/DEF 400

Yugi raised an eyebrow. "Time Wizard? Now of all times? What're you playing at, Jonouchi? Don't you remember the last time you tried to use Time Wizard against my Dark Magician? If memory serves, it didn't end well for you."

Jonouchi blanched. _Damnit, he's right! I just messed up big! If I use Time Wizard's effect and succeed, it might wipe out his Celtic Guard, but it'll also transform Dark Magician into Dark Sage, which gives Yugi immediate access to any Spells in his Deck._ His mind flickered back to Yugi's duel with Marik, and the legion of monsters Yugi had called out to defeat The Winged Dragon of Ra with just one Spell Card. He shuddered as he imagined every single one of Yugi's monster's baring down on him at once. _I really don't want that happening to me._

"From the look on your face," Yugi was saying, "I don't think you thought that one through, Jonouchi."

"Shut it!" he snapped. "It's all a part of my master plan! Just you wait and see what happens when I super-age Gilford! He's an immortal warrior who just gets stronger over time. And after a thousand years of training... it's gonna be even more amazing than your Dark Sage."

"Sounds interesting Jonouchi," Yugi grinned. "Too bad I'll never get to see it."

"Wha-"

"I activate the Equip Spell Card, Magic Formula! Equip to Dark Magician!" The Spell appeared behind Dark Magician, and at once, an ancient tome appeared in the wizard's free hand. The monster opened it and studied one of its pages with abject interest. "With this, an equipped Spellcaster gains 500 ATK!"

Dark Magician: ATK 2500 → 3000

"Battle! Dark Magician, attack Gilford the Lightning! Dark Magic Attack!" The magician leapt high into the sky and launched a blast of magical energy at Gilford. As it was struck, the warrior let out a cry of pain before being lost in an explosion of light and sound – matched only by Jonouchi's horrified cry.

 **Jonouchi LP:** 1350 → 1150

"Obnoxious Celtic Guard, attack Time Wizard! Faerie Blade Slash!" Quick as a gust of wind, the elven swordsman leapt forward and lashed out with its blade. Time Wizard was gone before the smoke had even cleared from Jonouchi's field.

"My combo!" Jonouchi cried, distraught.

"How unfortunate, Jonouchi," Yugi grinned. "I place two cards face-down. Turn end."

Jonouchi looked sourly at his friend. "Oh don't worry, I'll avenge them. And I have just the warrior for that!"

"Hmm?"

"My turn, draw! Appear, Gearfried the Iron Knight!" As the smoke and dust cloud finally abated, the armoured warrior appeared on Jonouchi's field, the rising sun glinting off of its black and silver armour.

Gearfried the Iron Knight: Warrior-Type/EARTH/Level 4/ATK 1800/DEF 1600

"Then I activate the Spell Card, Release Restraint!" Jonouchi slapped the Spell vigorously onto his Duel Disk. "This card unlocks the true Gearfried from its armoured casket!"

"The 'true' Gearfried?" Yugi repeated.

"That's right. A Gearfried of myth... so powerful that he could rend lands and wipe out armies just by drawing his sword. From the iron tomb he sheltered in to restrain his awesome power, and from his vow never to hold another weapon in his life, I now release him! Appear, Gearfried the Swordmaster!"

With a flash of blinding light, and a sound like a thousand glass panes smashing at once, Gearfried's armour shattered, revealing the true warrior hiding inside. Gearfried the Swordmaster took up position on Jonouchi's field, its wild black dangling around its broad, muscular shoulders, its fists clenched.

Gearfried the Swordmaster: Warrior-Type/Special Summon/LIGHT/Level 7/ATK 2600/DEF 2200

"Swordmaster..." Yugi muttered, suddenly on guard.

"From my hand, I activate the Equip Spell Card, Lightning Blade! Equip to Gearfried!" The sword, crackling with electricity, appeared in its right hand. "The equipped monster gains 800 ATK!"

Gearfried the Swordmaster: ATK 2600 → 3400

"3400!" Yugi gasped. "It surpassed Dark Magician!"

"That's not all!" Jonouchi proclaimed. "Remember how I said Gearfried could rend the land just by _picking up_ a weapon? Well I meant it! Whenever a card is so much as equipped to Gearfried, its effect instantly blows up a monster you control! Wipe out Dark Magician now!" With a howl, Gilford raised its new weapon up high, then drove it into the ground. The earth shattered as a massive shockwave was sent towards Yugi's monster.

"Trap Card, open! Shift!" Yugi cried, quickly triggering one of his face-downs. "This changes the target of your effect. I switch the target from Dark Magician to Obnoxious Celtic Guard!" The swordsman leapt in front of the magician, and was almost instantaneously obliterated by the force of the blast. Dark Magician, however, remained unharmed.

"Whatever," Jonouchi went on. "I'll take it down this way instead! Gearfried the Swordmaster, attack Dark Magician! Mega-Slash!" Yanking its blade out of the splintered ground, the warrior jumped sideways towards a neighboring building, then propelled itself off of that towards Dark Magician.

"Trap Card, open! Mirror Force!" Yugi's remaining face-down activated. "With this, I destroy all your attacking monsters!"

The blade was feet away from Dark Magician by this point. Before it could strike home, however, the Trap let off a blinding flash of light, forcing Gearfried back. The ultimate warrior cried out in agony, trying to push through, before a final explosion consumed it where it stood.

"Gearfried!" Jonouchi cried.

Yugi wiped sweat from his brow. _What a relentless onslaught,_ he thought. _Jonouchi nearly had me there. Worse, he burnt through all of my face-downs, and forced me to use Mirror Force to destroy just one monster._

"I... I place one card face-down and end my turn." Despite his achievements, Jonouchi sounded less than confident as he Set his card.

"My turn, draw." Yugi frowned at Jonouchi. "You came very close there. You know that, right?"

"Yeah..." Jonouchi replied through gritted teeth.

"It looks like your victory just wasn't meant to be."

"I guess..."

He looked so downtrodden, Yugi decided not to discuss things further. Jonouchi seemed to have lost what was left of his fighting spirit when his great reversal was thwarted. There was no spark left in his eyes. The kindest thing he could do for his friend would be to end this duel now.

"Battle," he said quietly. "Dark Magician, attack him directly."

With a solemn nod, Dark Magician levelled its staff at Jonouchi, the tip crackling with magical power. The dark energy seemed to darken the entire area, erasing the reflections from the surrounding windows and making the sharp reflections cast by the sun seem faint and fuzzy. Once enough had built up, the magician fired the sphere of energy at the boy across from it. Yugi closed his eyes.

"Reverse card, open! Scapegoat!"

Shocked, Yugi's eyes snapped open in time to see four differently coloured fluffy creatures – pink, orange, red and blue – burst from the Spell Card now active on Jonouchi's field. They then took up positions before him, standing in a neat line.

Sheep Token: Beast-Type/EARTH/Level 1/ATK 0/DEF 0

Sheep Token: Beast-Type/EARTH/Level 1/ATK 0/DEF 0

Sheep Token: Beast-Type/EARTH/Level 1/ATK 0/DEF 0

Sheep Token: Beast-Type/EARTH/Level 1/ATK 0/DEF 0

The orange one intercepted Dark Magician's attack, exploding from the force of the assault. The shockwave ruffled the fur of the other goat-like creatures. It had done its job, however: keeping its grinning owner safe.

"Jonouchi..."

"Heh heh, you really think I'd go down that easily, Yugi?" the boy laughed. "You think beating Gearfried means I'm done for? Rubbish! I'll fight you with every single one of my monsters to the last second. And amongst all the combos in my Deck, I'll find that one magic move that you won't be able to counter. Until then, I'll withstand everything you hurl at me!"

 _Did… he just play a mind game with us?_ the real Yugi asked.

Yami stared at Jonouchi, grinning outwardly. He saw the fire in Jonouchi's eyes, and felt the heat of his fighting spirit almost tangibly.

 _You know what… I think he did…_

* * *

 **Author Note #10: Yeah, probably.**

 **Author Note #11: Working out how some cards function under the Super Expert Ruleset is tricky. On the one hand, the way Rebellion (a Normal Spell Card in the anime) is worded, it seems to prompt a direct attack outside your Battle Phase (like Relentless Attacks and other such cards). On the other hand, since all Spells are essentially Quick-Play Spells under the Super Expert Rules, it's entirely possible that the card can just be activated during the Battle Phase. Either way, this isn't an issue here, as everything Yugi did between activating Rebellion to declaring an attack with Dark Magician involved Spell Cards (Dark Magic Curtain and Magic Formula), which we've established can be activated as Quick-Plays anyway. So whether Rebellion is designed for the Main Phase or Battle Phase, we're ok regardless.**

 **Author Note #12: Most monsters' attack names we use are based off of their Japanese attack names (and will continue to be unless no Japanese name exists). The exception, as we all know by now, is where a card(s) has been released in the TCG to confirm/clarify a name, such as Dark Magic Attack.**

 **Author Note #13: Maybe we'll make the Gilford upgrade we alluded to at some point in the future, but not yet. It certainly won't be appearing in this duel, as we've already established no custom cards.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Yugi LP:** 950

Dark Magician: Spellcaster-Type/DARK/Level 7/ATK 3000/DEF 2100

Spell & Trap Zone: Magic Formula [equipped to Dark Magician]

 **Jonouchi LP:** 1150

Sheep Token: Beast-Type/EARTH/Level 1/ATK 0/DEF 0

Sheep Token: Beast-Type/EARTH/Level 1/ATK 0/DEF 0

Sheep Token: Beast-Type/EARTH/Level 1/ATK 0/DEF 0

* * *

"As amusing as that was, Jonouchi," Yugi grinned, "it takes more than just mind games and defensive plays to win a duel."

"Yeah, I getcha," Jonouchi replied. "So hurry up and finish your move so I can counter that too."

"Getting cocky after surviving one Battle Phase?" Yugi asked, taking another card from his hand. "Really, you should know better. I activate the Spell Card, Bond of Teacher and Student!"

"Teacher and who?" Jonouchi asked as the Spell appeared. "You calling me a student, Yugi?!"

Yugi ignored him. "This card can only be activated if I control Dark Magician. But by doing so, I can call his disciple out of my Deck in Defence Position! Come, Dark Magician Girl!" In a burst of light, stars and hearts, the great female Spellcaster emerged, casting a wink in Jonouchi's direction before settling down in a defensive posture on Yugi's field.

Dark Magician Girl: Spellcaster-Type/DARK/Level 6/ATK 2000/DEF 1700

"Dark Magician Girl gains 300 ATK for each copy of Dark Magician or Magician of Black Chaos in my Graveyard. I have a Magician of Black Chaos, so she gets a boost from it."

Dark Magician Girl: ATK 2000 → 2300

"Turn end."

"My turn, draw!" Jonouchi searched through his hand in disgust. _Seriously?! Is this all I have to work with? Swordsman of Landstar, Dangerous Machine Type-6, Giltia the D. Knight and Polymerization? I can't sacrifice Sheep Tokens, I can't fuse them… I can't even make a Fusion of Swordsman and Giltia to take on Dark Magician Girl. The hell do I do now…?_

"Well, Jonouchi?" Yugi called. "It's your move."

"Shut it, I'm thinking! Um... er... I activate Dangerous Machine Type-6!" As he played the Spell, a large machine that bore some resemblance to a slot machine materialised behind his Sheep Tokens. "Turn end."

"My turn!" Yugi said, drawing his card. "You must have a very poor hand to come up with a move like that. Don't feel bad. It happens."

"I said shut it!" Jonouchi replied indignantly.

Yugi smiled. "I activate the Spell Card, Pot of Greed. With it, I draw two cards." Upon seeing his two new additions, Yugi's smile widened. "I switch Dark Magician Girl to Attack Position. Then, I Summon Magician's Valkyria! Attack Position!" Next to the two magicians, a third one appeared, looking like an even younger version of Dark Magician Girl.

Magician's Valkyria: Spellcaster-Type/LIGHT/Level 4/ATK 1600/DEF 1800

"Battle! Dark Magician, Dark Magician Girl, Magician's Valkyria... all of you, attack a Sheep Token each! Dark Magic Attack! Dark Burning Attack! Magic Illusion!"

As one, the three Spellcasters raised their sceptres and fired off three orbs of magical power. Each one struck one of Jonouchi's Tokens, the blasts combined nearly knocking the boy off his feet.

"And with that, the last of your defensive monsters are gone," Yugi said. "I place one card face-down. Turn end."

Jonouchi brushed the hair out of his eyes, grinning. "Not yet... I'm not giving in yet! My turn, draw!" The second he drew, the lever on the machine behind him was tugged invisibly down, and all six displays began whirring like crazy.

"Hmm?" Yugi raised an eyebrow.

"This is Dangerous Machine Type-6's effect," Jonouchi explained. "At the start of each of my turns, this card will generate a random number between one and six, and then apply an effect based on the number. And that number is..." At his word, the readouts stopped moving, each displaying the same number. "...three!"

"And three means?"

"Three means big bucks. Three means my luck might just be starting to turn around. Three means I get an extra draw this turn," Jonouchi grinned, drawing a card. "And Lady Luck just keeps on giving! I activate Pot of Greed!" The blonde duelist drew two more cards, bringing his hand total to six. His eyes widened upon seeing one of his new draws. "Yes! I got it! The last piece of my reversal!"

"Another reversal play?" Yugi said. "I can't wait for this one."

"I activate The Warrior Returning Alive! With it, I return the Warrior-Type Gearfried the Iron Knight to my hand!" Jonouchi held out his hand, and the Graveyard slot of his Duel Disk spat the Gearfried card into his waiting fingers. "Then, I activate the Spell Card, Polymerization!"

"Polymerization?" Yugi was surprised to see this card. A swirling, multi-coloured vortex appeared behind Jonouchi as it was played.

"With it, I fuse Gearfried the Iron Knight with Giltia the D. Knight!" As he held the two cards aloft, images of the monsters appeared briefly behind him, before bursting into a shower of light particles and being absorbed into the swirl of colour behind him. "Fusion Summon! Appear, Gilti-Gearfried the Prophecy Knight of Steel!" The vortex exploded with light, and from in it, a magnificent warrior adorned with shining steel armour was formed. Elements of its Fusion Materials – such as a cloak like Giltia's, shielded arms like Gearfried, and a bladed spear that seemed to be a combinations of both their weapons – were visible on the great knight, which now stood between Jonouchi and Yugi's armada of Spellcasters.

Gilti-Gearfried the Prophecy Knight of Steel: Warrior-Type/Fusion/LIGHT/Level 7/ATK 2700/DEF 1600

"How's that, Yugi?" Jonouchi called, grinning.

"How's _what_ , Jonouchi?" Yugi replied.

Gilti-Gearfried vanished.

Jonouchi blinked. "Hey! Where'd my monster go?! I only just Summoned it!" As he spoke, Magician's Valkyria on Yugi's field also popped out of existence, leaving the remaining two magicians standing alone. "Yugi, what's going on? What did you do to my monster?!"

"Calm down, Jonouchi," Yugi said, pointing upwards. "They're up there."

Looking up, Jonouchi saw two identical orbs of light circling each other in the sky. When he glanced down at Yugi, however, he noticed another change. There was a large golden casket in the centre of the field, above which the two lights were circling. A cross was emblazoned across the surface, with a hexagram jewel fixed into its centre.

"You see, when you Summoned your Gilti-Gearfried, I was able to activate my Trap Card: Dark Renewal," Yugi went on, indicating his Trap. "With it, I can sacrifice the monster you just Summoned along with one of my Spellcasters, in order to resurrect any DARK Spellcaster from my Graveyard. I offer up your Gilti-Gearfried along with my Magician's Valkyria!" The two orbs of light shot out of the sky and were absorbed into the jewel, which flared bright white. "Be revived, Magician of Black Chaos!"

With an ominous creaking, the coffin's lib opened, revealing the all-too-familiar Spellcaster lying within, its arms folded over its chest, its eyes closed. As the sunlight touched its pale skin, however, its eyes shot open, and it leapt majestically from the casket to land next to its brethren.

Magician of Black Chaos: Spellcaster-Type/Ritual/DARK/Level 8/ATK 2800/DEF 2600

Dark Magician Girl: ATK 2300 → 2000

"As you were, Jonouchi," Yugi said.

"Damnit Yugi..." Jonouchi's fist clenched. "Using my monster as a sacrifice for yours... that's a dirty trick!"

"You should learn to hold on tighter to the things you care about Jonouchi, else you might lose them." Yugi paused for a moment to let those words sink in before continuing. "I don't know what you were planning to do with Gilti-Gearfried – its ATK was too low to compete with Dark Magician, and Fusion Monsters can't attack on the turn they're Summoned anyway – but I think it's best I didn't find out."

Jonouchi gritted his teeth. _This is bad,_ he thought. _There's no opening's in Yugi's plays at all. Every time I think I've got a chance at a comeback, he just hurls another huge obstacle my way. And now… I have to deal with this…_ He eyed up Yugi's field. _His three best monsters, the ultimate trio of Spellcasters… how do I beat that?_ His eyes fell upon the remaining cards in his hand. _I burnt half my hand with that Fusion, but I still have Swordsman of Landstar, Graverobber, and 1-Dollar Silver Coin. I can Summon Swordsman in Defence Position and protect it from one attack with Silver Coin… but the second attack will destroy it and the third will wipe me out. Which leaves Graverobber… think brain, think! There's got to be something in Yugi's Graveyard worth stealing-_

"Everything ok, Jonouchi?" Yugi called.

"It's fine!" Jonouchi snapped. "Don't interrupt my strategising!"

 _I could take Monster Reborn, but there's no monsters in the Graveyard that can stand up to Dark Magician. At best, alongside Swordsman and Silver Coin, that'd buy me an extra turn by blocking his direct attack, but I'd be left with no cards on my next turn. Maybe Obnoxious Celtic Guard could do it, but that's assuming Yugi doesn't pull a monster with less than 1900 ATK, or an effect that can kill it. Spellbinding Circle? Again, that's just delaying the problem. Kuriboh? Same thing. Graceful Charity or Pot of Greed? No use on Yugi's turn. Dark Magic Curtain? Definitely not! I'm out of Spellcasters, and the last thing I want is to give Yugi another one._ Jonouchi clutched his head in frustration. _Argh! C'mon, there must be something! Card of Sanctity… Shift… Magical Hats… something! Anything!_

And then he had it.

Jonouchi slowly lowered his hands. "Of course..." he whispered, suddenly awed by the potential of the move that had just laid itself out before him.

"Hmm? What was that, Jonouchi?"

"I said," Jonouchi replied, taking a card from his hand, "I'm Normal Summon Swordsman of Landstar from my hand! Attack Position!" The tiny fairy warrior emerged, looking nervously at the wall of monsters before it.

Swordsman of Landstar: Warrior-Type/EARTH/Level 3/ATK 500/DEF 1200

"Swordsman of Landstar?" Yugi repeated, bemused. "In Attack Position?"

"Then I Set two cards face-down! Turn end!"

Yugi frowned at the two cards. _Traps…_ he thought. _Jonouchi's not bluffing, I'm sure of it – those are cards used to block my attack, and Swordsman of Landstar is the bait._

"My turn, draw!"

 _Question is, how do I handle it?_ Glancing at his hand, Yugi had to suppress a smile. _Black Luster Ritual… the last thing I want to do is put down even more powerhouses with those Set cards waiting. So what could they be? Putting Swordsman of Landstar in Attack Position makes me think of his Graceful Dice and Skull Dice combo – he hasn't used either of those cards yet. Yes, I have to assume he's set one or both of them, or something else to modify monster's ATK. If it's anything else, it makes no difference what I attack with first, but if it is, the order of my attacks matters._

 _Does it?_ The real Yugi asked.

 _It does,_ Yami replied. _If he has Graceful Dice, he only needs to roll a four or higher – a 50:50 chance – to have Swordsman of Landstar match Dark Magician Girl, whereas he needs a six to take on Magician of Black Chaos or Dark Magician. Also, if he'd holding Skull Dice, rolling another four or higher will weaken Dark Magician Girl to the point of defeat, whilst only a six will let him go toe-to-toe with my other two. It's all about skewing the averages in my favour._

 _I see,_ Yugi agreed. _So the best choice actually is to attack with Dark Magician first, right. Then, even if Jonouchi rolls a six, their ATKs will be equal and both will get destroyed, and that'll open him up for our other two magicians to attack directly. Is that right?_

 _Hopefully, yes._

"Battle!" Yugi declared, finally coming to a decision. "Dark Magician, attack Swordsman of Landstar! Dark Magic Attack!" Yugi's ace monster lifted its sceptre up once more, levelling it at Jonouchi's petrified warrior.

"Gotcha, Yugi!" Jonouchi cried. "Trap Card, open! Graverobber!" A chuckling gremlin with mining tools strapped to its back appeared before him, a single card held in its diminutive hands.

Yugi's eyes widened. _That's not a Dice card!_

"With this, I can steal a card from your Graveyard and use it against you," Jonouchi grinned. "I thought long and hard last turn about the best card to steal from you, Yugi. And in your Graveyard, I hit upon the motherload of all reversal cards! That card... is this!" The gremlin flipped the card over.

It was Mirror Force.

Yugi gasped in shock.

"And as you know," Jonouchi went on, "Mirror Force blows up all your attacking monsters! Say buh-bye to your magician army, Yugi!"

From the card, a blinding ray of light shone, enveloping Yugi's three Spellcasters. Dark Magician Girl screamed and covered her eyes. Magician of Black Chaos groaned and knelt down. Dark Magician's attack fizzled out as it hid behind its outstretched arms, trying in vain to hold back the all-consuming effect of the Trap Card. Finally, an explosion rocked Yugi's field, obliterating all three Spellcasters and leaving Yugi's side utterly bare.

"I did it!" Jonouchi cried, punching the air. "I wiped 'em all out! All your most powerful magicians!"

Yugi let his arms fall limply to his side. How could he have been so stupid? He'd completely forgotten about Graverobber, and because of it, he'd just lost three of his strongest monsters, his field presence, and his card advantage in one go.

"So what were you saying about holding onto your valuables, Yugi?" Jonouchi continued, parodying Yugi's words from earlier. "That little slip might've just cost you the game, pal."

Despite kicking himself internally, Yugi couldn't help but smile. "Very well played, Jonouchi. We're in quite an interesting situation now, aren't we?"

"Tell me about it," Jonouchi replied, still grinning uncontrollably. "If I draw a monster with 450 or more ATK, or a card that can boost up Swordsman of Landstar by that much, I win."

"Indeed," Yugi nodded. "But if not, leaving Swordsman of Landstar in Attack Position after attacking me but _not_ beating me will leave you vulnerable. Let's see if Lady Luck is still shining on you, Jonouchi. I place one card face-down. Turn end!"

* * *

 **Author Note #14: Slow down Jonouchi... you didn't tell us what Pot of Greed does.**

 **Author Note #15: Just like Flame Swordsman, Giltia's a Normal Monster in the anime/manga, not a Fusion Monster. That's why it exists in Jonouchi's hand.**

 **Author Note #16: We haven't complained about the anime in a while, so let's do that. Agreed? Agreed. Firstly, when Sergey intruded on Yuya and Barrett's duel, how was he able to... you know... do anything? Why didn't Barrett's Medal of the Crimson Chain prevent all of Sergey's Earthbound nonsense? Secondly, Red Mirror has no excuse to exist when a second Red Wolf would've done the job just fine. Thirdly, why did the Intrusion Penalty for Battle Royal duels disappear randomly for Yuya and Jack's duel, but return for Jean and Reiji's duel? Fourthly, why did Shun abandon everyone in the Xyz Dimension? Fifthly, Heelys. Sixthly, Heelys. And seventhly, ARC-V's main protagonist really hasn't been dueling much lately. In fact, said protagonist has been uncharacteristically recluse, what with allowing Yuya to take the final duel of the Synchro arc and all. You know who I mean, the one with the birdies who abandoned everyone in the Xyz Dimension.**

 **Author Note #17: Despite what our rants may lead you to believe, there are things we like about ARC-V. One of them is Reji's duels. Since his first duel, whenever he has a full onscreen duel, the writers seem keen to have him make use of as many D/D cards originally released in the OCG as possible, and just making a few new cards around them. Abyss Ragnarok in his rematch with Yuya was alright, but using Chaos Apocalypse, Beowulf, Seigfried and Lamia against Jean was brilliant. More of that pretty please. Maybe let Yuya use some of his other Odd-Eyes incarnations besides the random Saber intervention (Gravity, Vortex, Meteorburst, Absolute, that lot). Also some of those other Magicians (Nobledragon, Wisdom-Eye, Dragonpit etc.) and Egaopals (Sleight Hand, Skullcrobat, King-Bear, Metal Claw, etc.) wouldn't go amiss.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Yugi LP:** 950

 **Jonouchi LP:** 1150

Swordsman of Landstar: Warrior-Type/EARTH/Level 3/ATK 500/DEF 1200

Spell & Trap Zone: Dangerous Machine Type-6, 1 Set card

* * *

"Ugh... what's wrong with you people?!"

Jonouchi looked around, surprised. Standing behind him, silhouetted against the sunlight still streaming into the street, was a grumpy looking man. He was dressed as a chef, with a white apron and tall white hat, and was glaring at Jonouchi through bleary eyes. A bulky keyring dangled from his hand.

"Can we help you, mister?"

"You can help by keeping the bloody noise down!" the man snapped. "I know it's the weekend, but some of us still have to work, you know. And you duelists strutting around like you own the place, making explosions in the city centre, setting giant dragons on innocent civillians... you oughta be ashamed of yourselves."

"Hey, we weren't bothering anybody!" Jonouchi protested. "We came here bright and early. The shops here aren't even open!"

The man jangled the keys irritably. "Whaddya think I'm here doing?" He marched over to the door of a nearby café, almost passing straight through Swordsman of Landstar on the way, and began fumbling with the lock, muttering under his breath about "duelists" and "kids" and "bloody Battle City".

An awkward silence took over the street while the boys waited for the angry chef to make his way inside.

"Is it worth it, you lot?" the man said suddenly without turning around. "Do you enjoy disturbing hardworking people when they're just trying to sleep or go about their business? 'cos you mark my words: if someone doesn't stand up and put you lot in your place, the whole world'll become overrun with duelists."

"Don't you think that's rather melodramatic, sir?" Yugi asked.

The chef gave an irritated grunt and returned his attention to his keys.

"And besides, were you sleeping outside? If not, I really don't see how you could have been disturbed by our duel. Most duels aren't that loud."

Swearing, the man left the keys dangling in the lock and spun around. "Boy, I don't remember asking you a damn-" Suddenly, he froze, frowning at Yugi. "You! Kid! I've seen you somewhere before, haven't I?"

Yugi said nothing.

"Yeah..." The angry chef scratched his bristled chin. "You look darn familiar. Have you been on TV?"

"ARGH!" Jonouchi roared. "C'mon man! I don't care if you're not into dueling: it's shameful to not know who we are! I mean, you're only looking at Yugi freaking Mutuo! You know, the _winner_ of Battle City! The two-time _King of Duelists_! The most famous duelist in the _world_?!"

"That's it!" The man pointed a finger at Yugi. "That's who you are!"

"And that's not all," Jonouchi went on, puffing out his chest. "You're also in the presence of the great Katsuya Jonouchi, Duelist Kingdom runner-up _and_ Battle City top four. I know, I know, it's all a bit much. Try not to feel too humbled by our almighty... what're you doing?"

The shouty man, no longer listening to him, had turned back to the door. With one hand he finally turned the lock and shouldered the door open, his other hand preoccupied with a mobile phone he'd dialled whilst Jonouchi was talking. They heard him chattering away into it as he disappeared into the depths of the restaurant.

"Yo Pete? ... Pete, can you hear me? ... Yeah, it's me, Gordon ... I'm good, just thought I'd let you know something ... You know that conversation we were having the other night, about that Yugi kid ... Well, he's here, right outs- yes, I know, calm down ... I was thinking, he's famous right? ... As in, really famous? ... Well, what if we capitalise on that ... I'm thinking spread the word, get some business queueing up outside..."

The door swung shut behind him, cutting off the conversation. Silence fell across the street once more.

Yugi sighed. "This place is going to be flooded in a minute."

"Suppose so..." Jonouchi grumbled. "Fickle jerk! What did we ever do to him?"

"Guess we'll just have to finish our duel quickly before the masses arrive."

"Oh? You don't fancy autographing a few snapshots mid-duel?"

Yugi shook his head. He knew his friend was teasing, but he just wasn't in the mood for it right now. "Can we continue, Jonouchi?"

Jonouchi smirked. "Heh, been a while since you were a pampered pharaoh, I suppose. Don't worry your highness, I'll take you down a peg or two! My turn, draw!" Before he could go any further than that, however, the Dangerous Machine Type-6 behind him clunked into life, the six readouts whirring like mad. "Oh yeah... I'd forgotten about that."

Together, both watched as the spinning numbers slowed, then came to a stop, each display showing the same digit: four.

"And four means...?" Yugi asked.

"Four... well, four means you get to draw a card too," Jonouchi grumbled.

"Hmm," Yugi smiled, drawing his card. "Lady Luck may just be turning her radiance on me once more."

Jonouchi gritted his teeth. "You wish! I'll dazzle Lady Luck with my own radiance so much that she won't be able to grant you anymore luck! Swordsman of Landstar, attack Yugi directly!" The tiny swordsman sprang into action, floating across the field to deliver a brave swipe at the King of Duelists.

 **Yugi LP:** 950 → 450

"Turn end."

Yugi nodded, glancing at his hand before attempting to draw. All in all, his prospects didn't strike him as promising.

 _Black Luster Ritual and Van'Dalgyon the Dark Dragon Lord. So I have Black Luster Soldier's Ritual Spell Card, plus eight stars worth of Tributes… but no Soldier to actually Summon. And with nothing on my field and no Counter Traps in my hand, Van'Dalgyon's basically dead weight._ Yugi's eyes shifted from his hand to his Deck. There were now just eight cards left in it. _Of those eight cards, one of them is my Black Luster Soldier. That's my best chance at a reversal. I just have to draw it…_

Yugi closed his eyes. Under Jonouchi's nervous gaze, he poured his feelings – his pride, excitement, and sheer will to win – into what was left of his Deck.

At any other time, he would have asked himself why he was doing it. Jonouchi was his friend. It was one thing to go all out against an opponent, but quite another to do what Yugi was trying to do now. He was trying to force destiny to side with him, as he'd done before but a handful of times. His pride as a duelist was driving him now. He wanted to win against Jonouchi – a duelist of strength and spirit matched only by Kaiba – more than anything in the world right now. Against Marik, his desire for victory had been so powerful that, for just a second, he'd pulled the strings of fate himself, allowing him to draw Fiend's Sanctuary in his most dire of straights. He desperately wanted the same thing to happen now.

He was trying to create a miracle.

 _My cards… please… answer me!_

Yugi drew.

"I activate the Spell Card, Black Luster Ritual!"

Jonouchi gasped. "You're kidding! Now?!"

Holding the Spell out before him, Yugi said, "With this card, I sacrifice monsters whose Levels add up to eight. I sacrifice Van'Dalgyon the Dark Dragon Lord!"

As he spoke, four things materialised before him. One was a stone tablet, emblazoned upon which was a shield with crossed swords in front of it: the symbol of the legendary strongest warrior. Either side of it was a stone cauldron, each with a tiny wisp of purple smoke arising from it. Finally, above all of them, the translucent image of Van'Dalgyon the Dark Dragon Lord appeared, snarling at Jonouchi before being absorbed into the cauldrons. "This soul of darkness shall merge with the light! Between the souls of light and darkness, the gateway to chaos is opened!" The tablet bearing the crossed swords upended itself like an activating Set card, and a pillar of dazzling yellow light enveloped the three stone objects. "Ritual Summon! The legendary strongest warrior! Black Luster Soldier, descend!"

Three loud cracks rent the air as the ritualistic items shattered. The light faded, and amongst the fragments of the things that had been used to Summon it stood a warrior. A warrior out of legend. Its blue armour with gold, windswept-looking trim shone in the rising sun. Its dark red hair flowed gently in the breeze. And its eyes – fierce eyes that had seen many battles come and go – stared out from the warrior's pale face, fixed on Jonouchi.

Black Luster Soldier: Warrior-Type/Ritual/EARTH/Level 8/ATK 3000/DEF 2500

Jonouchi shook his head in disbelief. Back when Yugi had Summoned Black Luster Soldier for the first time against Mai, he'd felt its power. He could still vividly remember the awe and thrill it had inspired in him. Now, staring at this legendary soldier as its enemy, those feelings returned in earnest. "No... no way... you actually Summoned him..."

"I did."

"This late in the duel... how'd you even do that?"

"My cards answered me, Jonouchi," Yugi said.

"Answered...?"

"A duelist can feel the flow of the duel, and sometimes manipulate it to their advantage. But a true duelist..." Yugi glanced down at his Deck. "... a true duelist _creates_ that flow. You might be able to make the most of the currents in this river, Jonouchi, but so long as those are _my_ currents, you'll eventually succumb to my strength and be swept away!"

 _It's coming!_ Jonouchi realised, and instantly readied himself.

"Battle!" Yugi declared, his fierce expression fixed on his opponent once more. "Black Luster Soldier, attack Swordsman of Landstar! Chaos Blade!" The warrior brought its sword back and slashed at the ground. A pulse of air was the only hint Jonouchi got of the power behind the strike – legendary and unrivalled force that make him shudder – before a bright yellow blast of energy was launched from the sword tip at his diminutive warrior. Swordsman of Landstar put its hands out in front of it, shielding its face from an attack that it knew meant certain death.

"Trap Card, open!"

The attack struck home in a shockwave that nearly knocked Jonouchi off of his feet. The Solid Vision blast rocked nearby signs and rattled windowpanes – even Yugi shielded his eyes from the dust cloud kicked up by the pulse of air.

The swordsman was still there, however, covering in fear of the slash-shaped energy blast that was now suspended in the air in front of it. Between them, a tiny silver coin was likewise hovering, holding back the full force of Black Luster Soldier's attack.

"What?!" Yugi gasped.

"Didn't you see?" Jonouchi called. "In response to your attack, I activated the Trap Card, 1-Dollar Silver Coin!"

"1-Dollar Silver Coin...?" Yugi repeated.

"That's right. This card activates when you attack one of my monsters with 1000 or less ATK," Jonouchi explained. In front of him, the attack that was creating all the commotion finally faded away. "It prevents you from destroying my Swordsman of Landstar _or_ dealing me damage during this battle."

The coin fell to the ground with a tiny clink. Black Luster Soldier eyed it angrily before it disappeared.

Yugi sighed. "You can't dodge my attacks forever, Jonouchi."

"I don't have to," Jonouchi replied. "I just need long enough to come up with- er, I mean... long enough to put my master plan into action."

"Oh? You still have a plan?"

"You bet I-"

Jonouchi's words were cut off by a series of loud taps. Turning, the two duelists saw the angry chef once more. He was at the window of his café – still glued to his phone – tapping angrily against the glass to get their attention.

"What now, old man?!" Jonouchi called irritably.

The man glared at him. With his free hand, he placed a finger over his lips, then pointed to the phone. His meaning was clear. _Keep the noise down. Can't you see I'm talking here?_

"Hey, you wanted a publicity duel, we're giving you a duel!" Jonouchi shouted. "It's not our fault you have no customers! Where are they then?! Enjoying food at a _better_ place?"

Muffled words echoed from inside the building as the chef responded furiously. The exact words were unintelligible, but once again, the man's meaning was obvious.

Jonouchi scoffed and turned away. "Foul-mouthed jerk."

Yugi chuckled. "Oh well. The sooner we're done, the sooner we can leave him in peace. I end my turn."

"Yeah, I guess," Jonouchi agreed, placing his fingers over his next card. Like Yugi, his Deck was beginning to run low. In addition, he only had Swordsman of Landstar and Dangerous Machine on his field to compete with Black Luster Soldier, and just a single Equip Spell Card in his hand that would do him no good now.

That wasn't what was worrying Jonouchi. Lack of resources had never worried him before, since he always knew his Deck had an answer buried somewhere in it. He was an improvising champion. The trouble was, he didn't know if his Deck had anything left to counter Black Luster Soldier – one of the strongest monsters Yugi had.

 _Gilford… Time Wizard… Graverobber… Gilti-Gearfried… Gearfried the Swordmaster… Monster Reborn… Flame Swordsman… this is insane! I've thrown most of my best cards against Yugi and I can't beat him. He just blocks everything and comes back even stronger! I mean, he's got Black Luster Soldier! The legendary strongest warrior! And what've I got left? Jinzo? Insect Queen? Legendary Fisherman? None of them can compete with Black Luster. Maximum Six could, if I draw it_ and _roll a six first time to bring its ATK to 3100. Black Skull Dragon would be great… but all its Materials are in Yugi's Graveyard, and I don't have a card that can perform Fusions from the opponent's- wait a minute…_

A thought occurred to Jonouchi just then. An inspired thought. One that sent a thrill through his body. He knew now that, buried somewhere in what was left of his Deck, were one or two cards that could actually allow him to take down Black Luster Soldier and win the duel.

But drawing the right card... that was another matter entirely.

Jonouchi's fingers tensed over the top of his next card. Was it the one he needed? Was it something else? He wasn't just nervous to find out... he was excited. His entire body thrummed with the anticipation of drawing this card. Right now, nothing else existed. Not the street, not the shouty chef, even Yugi and his Black Luster Soldier were little more than afterthoughts. All of his focus was on this last card, and the potential it held.

This, he knew, was what it meant to be a duelist. Quite by accident, this duel had brought him full circle, to where his old dueling spirit lay sleeping. He'd found it again. He was back.

Deep in Yugi's Graveyard, amongst his many rare and powerful cards, something stirred...

"My turn, draw!" Jonouchi drew his card, but didn't look at it. Behind him, the dials on Dangerous Machine Type-6 whirred momentarily before stopping on the number two. "And in case you're wondering, a two means you have to discard a card, Yugi."

"Ah. How unfortunate, then."

"Eh?"

Yugi held up his left hand, waving his empty fingers in the air. "I used up all the cards in my hand last turn. There's nothing left to discard."

Jonouchi gulped. Here it was. The moment of truth. With his heart pounding out a drumbeat against his chest, he flipped over the card he'd drawn.

"Gotcha..." he whispered.

"What was that, Jonouchi?"

"I said," Jonouchi muttered, inserting the card into his duel disk, "that I just got everything I need. I activate the Illusion Card, Copycat! With it, I can take a card from your Graveyard and use it as my own." A wide grin split the blonde duelist's face as the Illusion Card appeared before him. "Are you ready, Yugi? Because I'm ready... I didn't realise just how ready I was. Right here and now, I'm taking my Red-Eyes back!"

"Your Red-Eyes?" Yugi asked, confused.

"Yep, Red-Eyes," Jonouchi affirmed. "Not Summoned Skull, not an Emissary, not one of your Magicians... nah, I'll have good ol' Red-Eyes back, thank you very much."

"Fair enough," Yugi said. "It's your choice. I hope you realise, though, that recovering you're Red-Eyes Black Dragon means you'll have to use your Swordsman of Landstar as a puppet. Which means you'll still only have one monster."

"Wrong!"

"What?"

"I'm not using Swordsman of Landstar as the puppet," Jonouchi said proudly. "In fact, I'm not using a puppet at all."

Yugi frowned. "Impossible. Using Copycat to copy a Monster Card requires another monster to be used as a conduit. It's not like Graverobber or Monster Reborn. You can't just-"

"Ah-ha!" Jonouchi cried, pointing at Yugi. "There you are! You just hit the nail on the head!"

"What?"

"You see, even though Red-Eyes will be mine in a few short moments, I'm not taking Red-Eyes back _directly_ ," he went on. "The card I'm actually copying is a Spell Card from your Graveyard. This one, in fact." The Copycat card on his field shone pure white for a moment. When the light faded, it had taken on the appearance of a new card. "Monster Reborn!"

Yugi's eyes widened. "Monster Reborn?!"

"That's right! And with it, I can revive any monster I like, puppet or no puppet! So c'mon back to my side! Red-Eyes Black Dragon!" A darkened fireball burst from Yugi's Graveyard, causing the King of Duelists to stagger back. The flames travelled over to Jonouchi's field, where they began to take shape, reforming themselves into the likeness of Jonouchi's favourite monster – a dark, almost skeletal-looking dragon, with eyes burning a deep, passionate crimson.

Red-Eyes B. Dragon: Dragon-Type/DARK/Level 7/ATK 2400/DEF 2000

Yugi smiled. "Clever, Jonouchi. So Red-Eyes has returned to your side at last."

"You betcha," Jonouchi grinned. "And now, it's gonna help me take down your Black Luster Soldier."

"Oh? And how will it do that?"

Jonouchi didn't answer immediately. Instead, he glanced up at the sky. The sun had been fully risen for a while now – the shadows were shorter, and the sounds of not-to-distant traffic was getting louder. It seemed to be approaching noon.

"By going back to my roots."

"Hmm?"

"In Duelist Kingdom," Jonouchi said, returning his gaze to his opponent, "I grew so much. I upgraded my Deck, my dueling, and myself. I fought hard and wagered everything so many times, all to save my little sister's eyesight. That growth... I've shown it to you today, Yugi. My new cards, my upgraded strategies, all of it. Red-Eyes is no exception."

"I remember," Yugi nodded. "You won him from Ryuzaki in Duelist Kingdom."

"That's right. I'm glad you remember. However, in my duel with Ryuzaki, we actually agreed to ante up everything we had on the field at the time. Stupid really... anteing up his two cards to my one. He must've wanted Time Wizard really badly."

Yugi's eyes fell upon the last card in Jonouchi's hand, and a wave of shock passed over him.

"But because of that," Jonouchi went on, "I got my hands on another card, and one that served me well for a long time. I would've lost to Keith without it. It helped us take down Gate Guardian in the Virtual World. And now..." His eyes, fierce and determined, fixed upon Yugi's warrior. "... now I can use it to take down your strongest monster!"

"It can't be..." Yugi breathed.

"I activate the Equip Spell Card, Claw of the Dark Dragon Tribe! Equip to Red-Eyes!" He inserted his last card into his Duel Disk. A set of shiny steel claws materialised on Red-Eyes' hands. "This gives an equipped DARK Dragon monster a 600 ATK boost!"

Red-Eyes B. Dragon: 2400 → 3000

"Battle! Red-Eyes Black Dragon, attack Black Luster Soldier! Inferno Fire Blast!" The dragon reared, a black and red fireball forming between its jaws. The ultimate warrior before it tightened its grip on its blade as it prepared for the attack. An ominous purple aura began to envelop it.

"Counterattack, Black Luster Soldier!" Yugi cried. "Chaos Blade!"

The soldier immediately launched itself skywards, far above Red-Eyes' head. It hung there for just a moment, its curved blade glinting dangerously, before it plummeted back to earth. The dragon arched its neck and released a swirling jet of shadowy flames at the approaching warrior. With a horrible cry, Black Luster Soldier was consumed by the inferno. Red-Eyes roared in triumph.

However, Black Luster Soldier hadn't stopped. Descending to earth trailing fire like a comet, it brandished its sword and took one last slash, slicing the dragon right down the middle before crashing to the ground and exploding. Red-Eyes howled once more – its tone now one of anguish – as the same flames it had incinerated Black Luster Soldier with now flooded into its body through the gaping wound caused by the warrior's sword. In an instant, Red-Eyes too was gone, and the ashes of the two mighty creatures were being carried away on the wind.

"Sorry, Red-Eyes..." Jonouchi whispered. "It had to be done."

Yugi allowed his Duel Disk to fall to his side.

"And now," Jonouchi went on, "Swordsman of Landstar attacks you directly!" The fairy warrior floated forward and delivered one final slash at Yugi. The King of Games staggered backwards, feeling the sting of more than just the Solid Vision attack.

 **Yugi LP:** 450 → 0

 **Jonouchi LP:** 1150 [WINNER]

Silence.

A resounding, monumental silence.

Then...

"I DID IT!" Jonouchi howled, his voice echoing around the street as the remaining Solid Vision projections disappeared.

Yugi walked over to his jubilant friend, a strange mixture of emotions welling up inside him. He felt bad to have lost, but at the same time, he was happy to have fought in such a passionate duel with his best friend. It meant more to him than he'd ever be able to say.

More than that, however... he was overwhelmingly proud of Jonouchi.

"That was incredible, Jonouchi," he said the second he could get a word in between Jonouchi's shouts.

"Thanks Yugi," his friend replied, breathing heavily, his arms still held aloft in celebration.

"I mean it. That was one of the best duels I've ever had. A true duel, one where neither of us holds back, and there are no stakes to force us to play at any level other than our best."

"I didn't hold back at Duelist Kingdom either," Jonouchi pointed out, "and you still beat me there."

"Yes," Yugi nodded. "And since then, we've both done a lot of growing and improving during Battle City. From this duel, the fruits of our labour's become obvious. Even though we've both grown, Jonouchi... you've grown more than me."

Jonouchi smiled and held out his hand. Yugi took it, and the two shook hands, revelling in the battle that had just transpired, and acknowledging their mutual respect for each other as duelists.

"And you're wrong about one thing," Jonouchi pointed out. "There were stakes in this game."

Yugi grinned. "I hadn't forgotten." He took his hand away. Jonouchi felt something between his fingers. He lifted his shaking hand up to eye level, and beheld his prize.

"Red-Eyes..." Jonouchi breathed. "Thank you... for all your help." Pride and joy then overtook him once more, and his voice rose to a shout. "Yeeeeeah! What a duel! I beat Yugi, and Red-Eyes is back where it belongs!"

"You deserve it, Jonouchi. You two make a great team. Don't let anyone separate you again."

"Oh I won't, trust-"

"Hey!"

"Hmm?" Both Yugi and Jonouchi turned in time to see the angry chef named Gordon lumbering out of his café once more.

"All this shouting and exploding! Don't you lot get it?! You're too bloody loud! Wait..." The man glanced around, taking in the lack of monsters and the inactive Duel Disks. "You're kidding me... don't tell me you're finished already!"

"You wanted us to be quiet, didn't you?" Yugi asked. "Well we're done dueling now, so we can get going and leave you in peace."

"Like hell you will," Gordon growled. "You owe me a little exhibition! Your dueling nonsense will bring me more customers than I'll know what to do with. That's the magic of celebrities who did no real work to get to where they are – people love 'em for some reason. So c'mon you hacks, best out of three! Hop to it!"

The two looked at each other.

"Run?" Yugi asked.

"Run," Jonouchi agreed. The pair of them turned on their heels and fled, leaving the irate chef screaming into an empty street.

"Hey!" he roared as the two best of friends sprinted away. "Get back here! Hey! Heeeey! At least tell me who won!"

* * *

 **Author Note #18: And there you are. One classic series nostalgia-tastic duel, just in time for the movie. Hope you enjoyed it.**

 **Author Note #19: Remember how we said we'd use the anime/manga versions of cards rather than their TCG/OCG counterparts for this duel? Well with Copycat, we had two options. Its anime version was a Level 5 monster that had Pendulum Monster-envy and so usually decided to behave like a Spell Card (like Time Wizard), whereas in the manga it was an Illusion Card (one of only two known Illusion Cards alongside Eye of Fascination, unless you count some of Pegasus' Illusion Monsters). In the end we went for its Illusion Card form, because why not?**

 **Author Note #20: So I went back to Episode 223 of the original series as reference for Atem's draw controlling shenanigans, and got confused by something. We're all aware of the stupidity of Atem refusing to use any of Ra's effects to utterly decimate Yugi, and instead using it as a particularly shiny beatstick. I'm more confused as to the mechanics that got the God Cards destroyed. To do so, Yugi reflected Slifer's Summon Thunder Bullets at each God Card in turn to kill them... but why did that work on Ra? Isn't Ra higher on the God Hierarchy, so the effects of the other God Cards don't work on it? Wasn't that firmly established in both the Marik duel, and Atem's duels against Yako in the manga? Even after using Soul-Energy MAX, he had to use another random Spell Card to increase Obelisk's Hierarchy high enough to kill Avatar. So what makes Slifer able to kill Ra but not Avatar using the same effect? What the even?**


End file.
